Experience as a first comer in the U S A

My first experiences of America Yan Zhang 05/20/2015

I was excited and nervous when I came to America at the first time. Even though I have studied English since I was in middle school, I could not open my mouth when I was facing local people at the beginning. I had the same difficulties in reading information and filling in worksheet, etc. I wanted to improve my English level so eagerly at that time. Now as I am taking the third ESOL class, I have paid more patients on this things. I realized that it isn’t easy, because it’s a long way for me to go though, and I should be hardworking and do not give up my goal.

Not only language problems but also different culture crash disturbed me at that time. As like chalk and cheese, the distance between others was one of the challenges for me. Our modest culture may be appropriate in my country, but some behaviors might be seen as saying without self expression here. For example, when we invite a friend to our home to have dinner, we some time says “we didn’t do full prepare for the dinner” for polite, but actually we have done our best. That sentence must make American get confused. So I need to pay more attention on other culture background, and then follow their rules.

Beside what I said above, there are also many obstacles I faced in life during that period of time. Such as Chinese women and kids don’t drink cold water, but American women even drink it just after they gave birth. I need to adapt other countries people habits in daily life.